Retractable utility knife

ABSTRACT

Retractable utility knife having separable handle parts and connecting means therefor featuring a single locking screw for releasable securing the handle parts, retracting a blade carrier and serving as a pivot axis for supporting the handle parts for relative angular displacement while continuously retaining the same in assembly.

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54 RETRACTABLE UTHU'HY KNIFE 2,862,296 l2/l958 Anderson ..30/162 [72] Inventor: Robert F. West, Simsburg, Conn. FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1 Assignw The Stanley Works, New Britain, 932,055 7/1963 Great Britain .3o/332 [22] Filed: Jam 11 1971 1,118,544 7/1968 Great Britain ..30/162 [21] Appl. No.: 105,187 Primary Examiner-Theron E. Condon Assistant Examiner-J. C. Peters Att 'P utz H Kalb & Chilt 52 us. Cl ..30/162, 30/332 I ayes [51] lint. Cl a ..1826'] 1/08 57 ABSTRACT [58] Field oiSearch ..30/162,330,335,336,339,

30/2, 163, 331 332 Retractable utility knife having separable handle parts and connecting means therefor featuring a single locking screw for 56] References Cited releasable securing the handle parts, retracting a blade carrier I and serving as a pivot axis for supporting the handle parts for UNITED STATES PATENTS relative angular displacement while continuously retaining the same in assembly. 2,187,590 1/1940 Lurie ..30/2 2,814,864 12/1957 Zevely ..30/2 14 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures P'ATENTEBW 9 1 INVENTOR ROBERT F. WEST BYW73%WM% ATTORNEYS PATENTEUm/"r 91972 SHEET 2 U 2 M utl RETRACTMBLEE UTIIUITY KlsllllFlE This invention generally relates to knives and particularly concerns a utility knife of a type shown in US. Pat. No. 3,509,627 to Gilbert et al., issued May 5, i970 and assigned to the assignee of this invention.

A primary object of this invention is to provide an improved utility knife having separable handle parts and which is adapted to secure an operative blade in an extended cutting position as well as to secure spare biades housed within the handle regardless of whether the handle parts are closed or opened, while additionally providing for selectively moving the operative blade between its extended cutting position and a retracted safety position wherein the blade is confined within the handle.

Another object of this invention is to provide a knife of the above-described type particularly suited for facile adjustment of the operative blade projection.

A further object of this invention is to provide a knife of the above-described type providing quick and easy blade removal and replacement while also providing for withdrawal of the blade into a retracted position confined within the handle without necessitating opening of the handle parts and/or removal of the operative blade from the handle.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an im proved utility knife of the above-described type having a compact rugged construction quick and easy to manufacture and assemble and which is suitable to be used in different applicatrons.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in more detail hereinafter.

A better understanding of the objects, advantages, features, properties, and relationships of this invention will be obtained from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings which set forth a certain illustrative embodiment and are indicative of a way in which the principle of this invention is employed.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view, partly broken away and partly in section, showing a preferred embodiment of a knife incorporating this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view showing the knife of FIG. i on a reduced scale, the handle parts oiwhich are shown in full lines in locked assembly, with one of the handle parts being shown in broken lines in an opened position; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded isometric view showing component parts of the utility knife of this invention on a reduced scale.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, a utility knife is illustrated as having a substantially hollow elongated handle 12 preferably formed of a pair of mating handle parts 14 and 16. The handle parts 14 and 16 have peripheral side walls respectively providing abutment shoulders 18 and 211 which upon being secured in longitudinally aligned, mating abutment, lie in a plane generally extending along a longitudinal axis X-X of the handle and rearwardly from a blade receiving opening 22 at its forward end.

A blade storage compartment 24 is conveniently formed in a rear portion of handle part R6 for housing spare blades and is surrounded by the peripheral side walls of the handle part 16 and internal spaced apart transverse webs 26 and 28 extending between the side walls. A triangular ear 36 projects from the rear end of handle part id to fit into a conforming cutout 32 in the other handle part 116 for locating and ensuring proper seating of the handle parts in a dimensionally stable assembly. The rear ends of the handle parts are provided with complementary aligned openings 34, 34' for permitting the handle to be fitted with a supporting ring, not shown, or to be hung upon a supporting hook, if desired.

As in the aforementioned patent, the knife it) of this invention has a forward blade clamping compartment 36 formed in the handle part i6 and extending rearwardly from the blade receiving opening 22. A complementary projection 38 is formed on the other handle part 14 whereby a shank of an operative blade such as at 40 may be rigidly clamped in compartment 36. The operative blade it) as well as any spare blades such as the illustrated stack 42 of blades within the storage compartment 24! are respectively engaged by opposite end portions of a spring clip 44 to be pressed against the handle part 116 as fully described in the referenced patent. The spring clip 44 is formed of a suitable thin, flat strip of rugged resilient material such as spring steel and is of an elongated configuration having an arcuate intermediate portion bowed toward the handle part 24 for engaging longitudinally extending abutment surfaces provided by internal ribs 46, 48 formed in the handle part 141 for exerting blade holding forces directed toward the other handle part 16.

Spring clip 44 is suitably apertured at 50 for receiving a threaded stem 52 of an operator or locking screw 54 received in a slot56 in handle part 14. As illustrated, stem 52 projects through a complementary slot 58 shown formed in an intermediate portion of handle part 16 which portion is of reduced thickness providing an exposed channel 60 on an outer surface of the knife 10. Channel 60 is of slightly enlarged size relative to slot 58 and provides a bearing shoulder 62 which will be understood to extend about the slot 58. A nut 64 is shown received in its entirety within the channel 60 for threaded engagement with the locking screw. Nut 64 bears against the shoulder 62 in relatively close fitting relation to the channel side walls to restrain the nut 66 against movement upon rotation of the locking screw 54.

As in the construction shown in the aforementioned patent, the head of the locking screw 54 is of enlarged diameter slightly greater than the major width of the handle 10 such that the head is quickly and easily rotated under manual pressure in opposite angular directions to lock and release the handle parts M, 11.6.

To effect longitudinal shifting of the operative blade 40 between its extended cutting position (FIG. 2) and a retracted safety position (FIG. 11) confined within the handle parts, a blade carrier 66 is drivingly connected to the locking screw 54 and is supported for longitudinal shifting movements responsive to reciprocating movements of the locking screw 54 within the aligned slots 56, 5b of the handle parts 14, 16. The blade carrier 66 is supported for sliding movement along an axially extending guideway 68 in the handle part 16. The guideway 68 has a flat floor 70 (PEG. 3) which includes shoulders adjacent the slot 58 and extending thereabout to provide a bearing surface for the blade carrier 66. Walls 72, 72 extend longitudinally rearwardly from the forwardly opening blade clamping compartment 36 in perpendicular relation to the floor 70 and are joined at their rear ends by the web 26. The rear wall portions of the slots 56, 58 are preferably spaced inwardly of the web 26 and serve as a rear stop for the locking screw 54 (FIG. 11) to position the operative blade 40 in its retracted safety position. The walls 72, 72 serve to constrain undesired transverse movements of the blade 40 and blade carrier 66 to ensure their being smoothly shifted within the guideway 68 without binding.

More specifically, the blade carrier 66 has an opening 74 for receiving the stem $2 of the locking screw 54 upon being operatively positioned below the spring clip 44. A blade retaining stud 76 is provided on a forward end portion of the carrier 66 suited to be fitted into locking engagement with a conforming opening such as at 78 formed in the shank of each of the blades. Each blade accordingly will be supported upon its carrier 66 and resiliently retained in position thereon by the forward end portion of the spring clip M. The spring clip 44 is of sufficient length to continuously retain and maintain control not only over the operative blade 40 supported on the carrier 66 but also over any spare blades which may be housed in the storage compartment 24 so long as the handle parts l4, 16 are retained in assembly.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the locking screw 54 may be rotated to a locked position (FIG. l) in one angular direction to draw the nut 64 and head of the screw 54 toward one another, clamping the handle parts 14, 16 in longitudinally aligned mating abutment and also locking the carrier 66 in a preselected position in the guideway 68. Upon loosening the locking screw 54 by rotating it in an opposite angular direction to a released position, the handle parts 14, 16 are unlocked to relieve the biasing force exerted by handle part 14 on the spring clip 44 and to permit longitudinal shifting movements of the locking screw 54 for selectively positioning the blade 40 via its carrier 66 relative to the handle parts 14, 16 while they are retained in unlocked, longitudinally aligned assembly by the screw 54 and nut 64. The locating car 30 at the rear of the handle also assists in maintaining the handle parts in longitudinally aligned but unlocked assembly.

To additionally permit relative angular movements of the handle parts 14, 16 when the locking screw 54 is loosened and prepositioned at the forward end of the slots 56, 58 to expose the blade clamping and storage compartments 24 and 36 while continuing to secure their respective blades therein with the handle parts 14, 16 in unlocked assembly, the handle part 16 is shown in the specific illustrated embodiment of this invention having a pair of internal projecting hub bearing portions 80, 80 integrally formed on the handle part 16 on opposite sides of its guideway 70 adjacent a forward end portion of the slot 58. The hub bearing portions 80, 80 are of arcuate configuration and symmetrically disposed relative to an axis YY extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal plane containing the abutment shoulders of handle part 16. A complementary internal recess 82 is provided in the other handle part 14 for receiving the projecting hub bearing portions 80,80.

In the preferred embodiment, the recess 82 is of a parti-circular configuration communicating with the slot 56 to define a generally C-shaped recess extending about a centrally disposed boss 84 to permit unrestrained relative angular movement of the hub bearing portions 80, 80' within the recess 82 when the handle parts 14, 16 are in unlocked assembly and the loosened locking screw 54 is brought into its forwardmost position registering with the hub bearing portions 80, 80' and its complementary recess 82 along axis Y- Y. The forward end of the slot 56 is provided by a wall portion 86 formed within the boss 84, and the wall portion 86 jointly serves with the forward wall 88 of the underlying slot 58 as a forward stop for the locking screw 54 to position the blade 40 in its extended cutting position.

When the locking screw 54 is at the rear of the slots 56, 58 and is turned down to locked position firmly securing the handle parts 14, 16 in locked assembly with the blade 40 supported on its carrier 66 in retracted safety position confined within the handle 10, the locking screw 54 need only be loosened to its released position for longitudinally sliding the blade carrier 66 forwardly within the guideway 68 to locate the blade 40 carried thereby in cutting position. The handle parts 14, 16 then may be once again locked upon drawing up the screw 54 into locked position. With the blade carrier 66 in extended forward position, the screw 54 again may be loosened to its released position and the handle parts and spring clip 44 may be swiveled to a relatively angularly disposed relation to one another about the common axis Y-Y jointly defined by the stem 52 of the locking screw 54 and the above-described hub bearing and recess arrangement. The blade clamping and storage compartments 24 and 36 are thus readily exposed for facile blade changing while the handle parts 14, 16 are retained in unlocked assembly by the screw 54 and nut 64. Thereafter the locking screw 54 may again be tightened to secure the spring clip 44 and handle parts l4, 16 in longitudinally aligned, locked assembly with a newly selected blade operatively positioned to project forwardly of the handle.

A knife constructed in accordance with this invention provides quick and easy extension and retraction of a blade 40 between a safety position wherein the blade is shielded within the handle parts 14, 16 and an extended forward cutting position while at the same time continuously retaining the blades in the blade clamping and storage compartments 24 and 36 against unintended displacement even when the handle parts 14, 16 are opened. By virtue of the above-described construction, the connecting means for the handle parts 14, 16 includes a single locking screw 54 serving to reciprocate the blade carrier 66 and additionally assisting in providing a pivot axis for the handle parts 14, 16 and spring clip 44 and in retaining the handle parts in both locked and unlocked assembly. The knife additionally provides for selective blade projection; possesses an aesthetically pleasing, streamlined, compact appearance; is of rugged construction which is quick and easy to both manufacture and assemble; and is suited for a variety of different uses by craftsmen.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications, adaptations and variations of the foregoing specific disclosure can be made without departing from the teachings of the present invention.

lclaim:

1. A blade holder having a blade-receiving opening at one end and comprising a pair of elongated mating handle parts separable along a plane generally extending longitudinally of the handle parts, a blade carrier longitudinally reciprocable within the handle parts toward and away from the bladereceiving opening, and connecting means for the handle parts including a locking screw reciprocable longitudinally of the handle parts and drivingly connected to the blade carrier for reciprocating the carrier, the locking screw being rotatable in one angular direction to clamp the handle parts in longitudinally aligned, mating abutment with the blade carrier being locked in a preselected position relative to the handle parts, and the locking screw being rotatable in an opposite angular direction to unlock the handle parts and permit movement of the locking screw longitudinally thereof for selectively positioning the blade carrier and additionally permit relative angular movement of the handle parts about the locking screw with the handle parts being retained thereby in unlocked assembly.

2. The blade holder of claim 1 wherein a longitudinally extending slot is formed in one of the handle parts, wherein the locking screw includes a stern received for movement within the slot and connected to the other of the handle parts for selectively locking and unlocking the handle parts while continuously retaining the same in assembly.

3. The blade holder of claim 2 wherein a portion of said one handle part at each longitudinal end of the slot serves as a stop engageable with the locking screw for establishing extended and retracted limit positions for the blade carrier.

4. The blade holder of claim 2 wherein a complementary longitudinally extending slot is formed in an intermediate portion of the other of the handle parts in generally aligned relation to said first slot in said one handle part, the intermediate portion of the other handle part being of reduced thickness and defining a channel on an exposed outer surface of said other handle part of relatively increased size relative to its longitudinal slot, and wherein a locking nut is received within the channel for threaded engagement with the stem of the locking screw, the locking nut and its channel being relatively dimensioned and configured to restrain the nut upon rotation of the locking screw.

5. The blade holder of claim 2 wherein one of the handle parts has an internal hub bearing portion integrally formed therein and the other of the handle parts has an internal recess receiving the hub bearing portion, the internal hub bearing portion and its recess being provided on their respective handle parts adjacent said slot, the handle parts being angularly movable relative to one another when the locking screw stem is in registration with the hub bearing portion and its recess.

6. The blade holder of claim 5 wherein said hub bearing portion is formed on said one handle part adjacent a forward longitudinal end of said slot and projects into its recess on said other handle part a distance sufficient to provide pivotal hearing support for the handle parts when they are in unlocked assembly upon loosening the locking screw.

7. The blade holder of claim 5 further including a second hub bearing portion, wherein said recess is provided on the same handle part in which said slot is formed adjacent a forward longitudinal end of said slot, said recess being of generally circular configuration and in communication with said slot, and wherein said hub bearing portions are positioned within said recess on opposite sides of said slot in noninterfering relation to the blade carrier when the handle parts are secured in longitudinally aligned, locked assembly.

8. A blade holder having a blade-receiving opening at one end and comprising a pair of elongated mating handle parts separable along a plane generally extending longitudinally of the handle parts, a blade carrier longitudinally reciprocable within the handle parts toward and away from the bladereceiving opening. and connecting means releasably securing the handle parts, the connecting means being manipulatable between a locked position securing the handle parts in longitudinally aligned, mating abutment and a released position wherein the connecting means retains the handle parts in unlocked assembly, the connecting means including an operator drivingly connected to the carrier for reciprocating it within the handle parts when the connecting means is in released position, one of the handle parts having an internal hub bearing portion integrally formed therein and the other of the handle parts having an internal recess receiving the hub bearing portion, the handle parts being angularly movable relative to one another when the connecting means is in released position and its operator is in registration with the hub bearing portion and its recess.

9. The blade holder of claim 8 wherein the internal hub bearing portion and its recess provided in the handle parts cooperate with the operator to establish a common pivotal axis supporting the handle parts for relative angular movement when the connecting means is in released position and its operator is in registration with the hub bearing portion and its recess.

10. The blade holder of claim 8 wherein one of the handle parts includes an internal blade storage compartment and an internal blade clamping compartment, and wherein a spring clip is disposed between the handle parts and maintained in assembled relation therewith by the operator, the spring clip having blade retaining portions respectively received in the blade storage compartment and the blade clamping compartment for exerting blade holding forces directed toward said one handle part in both locked and released positions of the connecting means irrespective of the longitudinal disposition of its operator relative to the handle parts and the relative angular disposition of the same.

11. The blade holder of claim 8 wherein a longitudinally extending slot is formed in one of the handle parts, wherein the operator comprises a locking screw connecting the handle parts and received for reciprocable movement in the slot for extending and retracting the blade carrier relative to the blade-receiving opening, and wherein the internal hub bearing portion and recess are provided in their respective handle parts adjacent one end of the slot for readily establishing registration of the locking screw with the hub bearing portion and its recess.

12. The blade holder of claim 8 wherein one of the handle parts includes a longitudinally extending slot, and wherein the operator comprises a locking screw connecting the handle parts and having a stem portion received for reciprocating movement in the longitudinal slot and drivingly connected to the blade carrier.

13. The blade holder of claim 12 wherein the locking screw is rotatable in one angular direction for establishing said locked position securing the handle parts in longitudinally aligned mating abutment and in an opposite angular direction for establishing said released position unlocking the handle parts and permitting shifting of the locking screw relative thereto within said slot for extending and retracting the blade carrier relative to the blade-receiving opening.

14. The blade holder of claim 12 wherein the internal hub bearing portion and its recess are provided on their respective handle parts adjacent a forward end of the longitudinal slot,

and wherein the internal hub bearing portion and its recess provided in the handle parts cooperate with the locking screw to provide a common axis of rotation for the handle parts for relative angular displacement thereof when the locking screw is in registration with the hub bearing portion and its recess. 

1. A blade holder having a blade-receiving opening at one end and comprising a pair of elongated mating handle parts separable along a plane generally extending longitudinally of the handle parts, a blade carrier longitudinally reciprocable within the handle parts toward and away from the blade-receiving opening, and connecting means for the handle parts including a locking screw reciprocable longitudinally of the handle parts and drivingly connected to the blade carrier for reciprocating the carrier, the locking screw being rotatable in one angular direction to clamp the handle parts in longitudinally aligned, mating abutment with the blade carrier being locked in a preselected position relative to the handle parts, and the locking screw being rotatable in an opposite angular direction to unlock the handle parts and permit movement of the locking screw longitudinally thereof for selectively positioning the blade carrier and additionally permit relative angular movement of the handle parts about the locking screw with the handle parts being retained thereby in unlocked assembly.
 2. The blade holder of claim 1 wherein a longitudinally extending slot is formed in one of the handle parts, wherein the locking screw includes a stem received for movement within the slot and connected to the other of the handle parts for selectively locking and unlocking the handle parts while continuously retaining the same in assembly.
 3. The blade holder of claim 2 wherein a portion of said one handle part at each longitudinal end of the slot serves as a stop engageable with the locking screw for establishing extended and retrActed limit positions for the blade carrier.
 4. The blade holder of claim 2 wherein a complementary longitudinally extending slot is formed in an intermediate portion of the other of the handle parts in generally aligned relation to said first slot in said one handle part, the intermediate portion of the other handle part being of reduced thickness and defining a channel on an exposed outer surface of said other handle part of relatively increased size relative to its longitudinal slot, and wherein a locking nut is received within the channel for threaded engagement with the stem of the locking screw, the locking nut and its channel being relatively dimensioned and configured to restrain the nut upon rotation of the locking screw.
 5. The blade holder of claim 2 wherein one of the handle parts has an internal hub bearing portion integrally formed therein and the other of the handle parts has an internal recess receiving the hub bearing portion, the internal hub bearing portion and its recess being provided on their respective handle parts adjacent said slot, the handle parts being angularly movable relative to one another when the locking screw stem is in registration with the hub bearing portion and its recess.
 6. The blade holder of claim 5 wherein said hub bearing portion is formed on said one handle part adjacent a forward longitudinal end of said slot and projects into its recess on said other handle part a distance sufficient to provide pivotal bearing support for the handle parts when they are in unlocked assembly upon loosening the locking screw.
 7. The blade holder of claim 5 further including a second hub bearing portion, wherein said recess is provided on the same handle part in which said slot is formed adjacent a forward longitudinal end of said slot, said recess being of generally circular configuration and in communication with said slot, and wherein said hub bearing portions are positioned within said recess on opposite sides of said slot in noninterfering relation to the blade carrier when the handle parts are secured in longitudinally aligned, locked assembly.
 8. A blade holder having a blade-receiving opening at one end and comprising a pair of elongated mating handle parts separable along a plane generally extending longitudinally of the handle parts, a blade carrier longitudinally reciprocable within the handle parts toward and away from the blade-receiving opening, and connecting means releasably securing the handle parts, the connecting means being manipulatable between a locked position securing the handle parts in longitudinally aligned, mating abutment and a released position wherein the connecting means retains the handle parts in unlocked assembly, the connecting means including an operator drivingly connected to the carrier for reciprocating it within the handle parts when the connecting means is in released position, one of the handle parts having an internal hub bearing portion integrally formed therein and the other of the handle parts having an internal recess receiving the hub bearing portion, the handle parts being angularly movable relative to one another when the connecting means is in released position and its operator is in registration with the hub bearing portion and its recess.
 9. The blade holder of claim 8 wherein the internal hub bearing portion and its recess provided in the handle parts cooperate with the operator to establish a common pivotal axis supporting the handle parts for relative angular movement when the connecting means is in released position and its operator is in registration with the hub bearing portion and its recess.
 10. The blade holder of claim 8 wherein one of the handle parts includes an internal blade storage compartment and an internal blade clamping compartment, and wherein a spring clip is disposed between the handle parts and maintained in assembled relation therewith by the operator, the spring clip having blade retaining portions respectively received in the blade storage coMpartment and the blade clamping compartment for exerting blade holding forces directed toward said one handle part in both locked and released positions of the connecting means irrespective of the longitudinal disposition of its operator relative to the handle parts and the relative angular disposition of the same.
 11. The blade holder of claim 8 wherein a longitudinally extending slot is formed in one of the handle parts, wherein the operator comprises a locking screw connecting the handle parts and received for reciprocable movement in the slot for extending and retracting the blade carrier relative to the blade-receiving opening, and wherein the internal hub bearing portion and recess are provided in their respective handle parts adjacent one end of the slot for readily establishing registration of the locking screw with the hub bearing portion and its recess.
 12. The blade holder of claim 8 wherein one of the handle parts includes a longitudinally extending slot, and wherein the operator comprises a locking screw connecting the handle parts and having a stem portion received for reciprocating movement in the longitudinal slot and drivingly connected to the blade carrier.
 13. The blade holder of claim 12 wherein the locking screw is rotatable in one angular direction for establishing said locked position securing the handle parts in longitudinally aligned mating abutment and in an opposite angular direction for establishing said released position unlocking the handle parts and permitting shifting of the locking screw relative thereto within said slot for extending and retracting the blade carrier relative to the blade-receiving opening.
 14. The blade holder of claim 12 wherein the internal hub bearing portion and its recess are provided on their respective handle parts adjacent a forward end of the longitudinal slot, and wherein the internal hub bearing portion and its recess provided in the handle parts cooperate with the locking screw to provide a common axis of rotation for the handle parts for relative angular displacement thereof when the locking screw is in registration with the hub bearing portion and its recess. 